Adopting a novel approach to the circumstances of the Vietnam War, this ensemble drama is set in a California relocation camp for South Vietnamese refugees displaced after the Communist takeover of their country in 1975. The film is primarily interested in those who were uprooted from their homes and forced to find shelter a strange land, but it takes time to observe how U.S. camp staffers approached their "guests." One of the newcomers is Minh, a young boy who constantly searches the camp for his mother. Minh believes she's on her way from Vietnam to rejoin him, and he's determined to not give up. In the meantime, he's befriended by Addie (Forest Whitaker), a local man volunteering as a camp cook. While they find common ground, Minh's Uncle Tai is asked by Sgt. Jim Lance (Patrick Swayze) to become camp liaison between their people, highlighting cultural differences that hamper assimilation. Although "Green Dragon" has much to offer, it's so long and deliberate that its overall impact is dulled.